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Home › Politics

Politics | 08/21/2008 10:00 am

Fiorina, Whitman to Speak at Republican Convention

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Carly Fiorina © AP

High-tech heavyweights Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman — two prominent advisers to John McCain’s presidential campaign — will speak at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul next month.

The convention, which will run September 1-4, has a theme of “Country First,” to reflect McCain’s leadership and service to America. Other speakers include Cindy McCain, ten current and former Republican governors and five current and former U.S. Senators. 

"We are excited to announce this slate of speakers, each of whom shares John McCain’s love of country and commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest. Their remarks will be a testament to Sen. McCain’s unparalleled record of service and sacrifice for America and his readiness to lead as commander in chief and move America forward," said Maria Cino, president and CEO of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Fiorina and Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, will speak on Wednesday, September 3. Fiorina is McCain’s Victory ’08 Chairman for the Republican National Committee, while Whitman is the national co-chair for the campaign. The theme of that night is “prosperity,” and the program will focus on McCain’s plans to get the economy back on track. It’s on this day that McCain’s yet-to-be-announced vice president will speak. Cindy McCain will also speak on this night. First Lady Laura Bush will speak on September 1. Rosario Marin, former U.S. Treasurer, current California Secretary of State and Consumer Services Agency and former California candidate for U.S. Senate, will speak on September 2, on the theme of "Reform, " as will Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. 

Whitman has become a close adviser to McCain since leaving eBay in March. The San Jose Mercury News reports that when McCain was asked at a forum last week to name the "three wisest people you know," he listed Whitman along with Gen. David Petraeus and Rep. John Lewis, D-GA, a civil rights leader from the 1960s. Fiorina is a frequent McCain surrogate and speaker. The Mercury News says McCain’s campaign hopes having these two well-known women onboard will help attract female voters and disaffected Democrats, and respond to Barack Obama’s recent ads depicting McCain as "out of touch" on the economy.

Read more about: Barack Obama, Business, Carly Fiorina, convention, John McCain, Meg Whitman, News, Politics

15 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

joan larsen
Whether you are Republican or Democrat, be so proud of these women - for they are a symbol to the rest of us — that yes, two have achieved the highest mountain peak in business - and there is hope for many tomorrows for each of us.
By joan larsen on 08/21/2008 9:20 am
C Hardy
I am glad to see these powerful women speaking at the Republican Convention. I think McCain needs to have more women supporters and this may do the job. I can’t wait for both Conventions to see who the VP’s are and what each canidate has to say on their views on how to change our Country & move forward. I also feel that regardless of who becomes President there will be another terrorist attack b/c terrorists do not care who our President is…I pray that it wont happen…….
By C Hardy on 08/21/2008 9:40 am
Wafaa El Jusmani
No one can ever disagree with the “Country first” concept, however, this issue can easily be used and abused, because even Machiavelli believed in this principle. Therefore, it relies on who says it, and when.
By Wafaa El Jusmani on 08/21/2008 10:52 am
Lorraine Bates
When there are this many women on the slate as speakers, I start to feel as if McCain is overcompensating…
By Lorraine Bates on 08/21/2008 11:13 am
Marcia L.
Carly Fiorina is one of the main reasons that I decided I could not vote for McCain. There is no way that I would hold her up as a women’s role model. Look at her record and what she did to Hewlett-Packard when she was their CEO. (McCain’s support of Phil graham is another reason why I will not vote for him, and the list gets longer each day.)
By Marcia L. on 08/21/2008 12:50 pm
K O
My sentiments exactly, Marcia. The only heavy weight Carly put on Hewlitt Packard was on the stock price. She was to women executives what Roberto Gonzalez was to Hispanics in the legal profession.
By K O on 08/21/2008 4:44 pm
Frank Peterson
Well said Kitty and Marcia—I personally have little use for Carly. All the republicans are doing once again is show the world that money and greed are the criteria they abide by.
By Frank Peterson on 08/21/2008 5:33 pm
DeBúrca obj
The GOP exists for Corporate interests so the speaker seems appropriate.
By DeBúrca obj on 08/21/2008 9:03 pm
James the Game
These dog-and-pony shows should be a hoot. Can hardly wait.
By James the Game on 08/21/2008 5:56 pm
DeBúrca obj
The last time I watched the Republican Convention I went from being a lukewarm Democrat to a staunch Democrat.
By DeBúrca obj on 08/21/2008 6:38 pm
Bonnie Oliver
Carly Fiorina was possibly made the scapegoat for the downturn at HP and as CEO her face was the one put forward by the Board as the reason for the loss of market share. Yet the Board also acknowledges, as do some of her critics, that it is because of Carly Fiorina’s foresight and recovery plan which her successors followed that brought HP back into competition with Dell etc. I am not an expert about HP history but it has been my suspicion that the Board of Directors did pull a fast one and Mrs. Fiorina could not win the PR battle inasmuch as she was already tarred as the reason for the HP downturn….so she accepted their multi million dollar severance package along with the acknowledgement of her plan for the company’s recovery and left. The company soon rebounded…..very soon. Suspicious? You bet. Both Fiorina and Meg Whitman bring a new dimension to political Conventions. Women have spoken, participated and have held important roles at the Conventions but not women outside of politics or celebrities from the Entertainment field. This is new. This is good. I look forward to hearing from two of the many women who are changing the face of the business world from being so totally masculine.
By Bonnie Oliver on 08/21/2008 8:59 pm
K O
Hi Bonnie, I agree with respect to Meg Whitman. Carly Frorina, in my opinion, was an extremely ineffective CEO at HP and was given ample time to execute her plan with the company. The current business plan at HP, in my view, was a radical departure from hers, and saved the company from continued declining profits and resulting languishing share prices. I am a supporter of women executives, and would be the first to come to her defense, if I found her stewardship of the company to be defensible. Sadly, I do not.
By K O on 08/21/2008 9:16 pm
Bonnie Oliver
Hi Kitty - I think more folks will agree with you about Carly Fiorina than with my suspicious nature.. When she laid off those 7,000 workers, she took a big hit personally and was almost ineffective from that time forward. However, Wikipedia.com does give a quote from the Company about Ms. Fiorina; She was responsible for “a plan that gave Hewlett Packard the capabilities to compete and to win”. The stock did jump immediately upon notice of her resignation….. that is a personal and emotional rally by investors who thought her actions indefensible (wire-tapping)… not a rally based on projected earnings etc. She was as Kate Hepburn once said about herself in the movies, “Box Office Poison”. Your assessment may very well be correct, Kitty. However, I do think there might be a smidgen of room for some doubt.
By Bonnie Oliver on 08/21/2008 11:46 pm
K O
Hi Bonnie, The day there is not a smidgen of room for some doubt is the day I will lose the opportunity to listen to the thoughtful conclusions drawn by critically thinking people who challenge my opinions. That will be a sad day for me.
By K O on 08/22/2008 10:47 am
Sherrie Crews
These two women have undoubtedly been very successful in business and I respect their abilities in that area. I don’t respect their political points of view because they obviously have no respect for the “impoverished, lowly serfs” that their economic policies are making of the working class. I have no interest in hearing what they have to say.
By Sherrie Crews on 08/22/2008 9:43 am